1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Local Area Network (LAN), and more particularly, to a system and method for sharing optional data by multiple local communication terminals in a LAN.
2. Description of the Related Art
Usually, the term “LAN” refers to forming a communication network by connecting multiple local communication terminals to one another for communication. The local communication terminal refers to a terminal that supports local area communication. To describe the local communication terminal in more detail, the local communication terminal can perform local area communication with another local communication terminal by using either ZIGBEE® communication, BLUETOOTH® communication, Ultra-WideBand (UWB) communication, or other types of communication. ZIGBEE® and BLUETOOTH®, as used herein, each refer to specifications for suites of communication protocols for Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs). For example, by using the ZIGBEE® communication, local communication terminals supporting the local area communication can perform local area communication with one another in a ZIGBEE® communication scheme.
Currently, in a LAN, when there exists data that each of local communication terminals should share with one another, each of the local communication terminals determines whether the local communication terminal holds the data. A local communication terminal that determines that the local communication terminal does not hold the data receives data corresponding to the determined non-held data from another local communication terminal that holds the data corresponding to the determined non-held data, and stores the received data therein. Accordingly, an optional local communication terminal can hold the data.
A more detailed description will be made with reference to FIG. 1. It is assumed in FIG. 1 that local communication terminals 101, 103, 105, and 107 perform the local area communication by using either ZIGBEE®, BLUETOOTH®, UWB, or other communication schemes.
Also, in FIG. 1, the first local communication terminal 101 is assumed to be a coordinator for generating a LAN, and the second, third, and fourth local communication terminals 103, 105, and 107 are assumed to be nodes in the LAN.
So that each of the second, third, and fourth local communication terminals 103, 105, and 107 may share data held by each of the local communication terminals with one another, the first local communication terminal 101 receives data list information from each of the second, third, and fourth local communication terminals 103, 105, and 107. Herein, the data list information is information necessary to identify data held by an optional local communication terminal.
Also, by using the received data list information, the first local communication terminal 101 determines whether there exists non-held data that the first local communication terminal does not hold, and finds local communication terminals holding the determined non-held data from among the second, third, and fourth local communication terminals 103, 105, and 107. In order to hold the determined non-held data, the first local communication terminal 101 requests each of the found local communication terminals to transmit data corresponding to the determined non-held data, and receives the data transmitted from each of the found local communication terminals and stores the received data therein.
In the same manner, the second local communication terminal 103 uses data list information received from the first, third, and fourth local communication terminals 101, 105, and 107 to determine whether there exists data (i.e. non-held data) that the second local communication terminal does not hold, and receives data corresponding to the determined non-held data and stores the received data therein. Also, each of the third and fourth local communication terminals 105 and 107 goes through the same process as described above, and holds non-held data. Accordingly, the first, second, third, and fourth local communication terminals 101, 103, 105, and 107, constructing the LAN, share optional data.
However, in order to share data by the local communication terminals, an optional local communication terminal requests each of the other local communication terminals to transmit data corresponding to non-held data, and receives the data transmitted from each of the other local communication terminals, which increases a transmission time of the data.
Moreover, in order to share the data by the local communication terminals, the optional local communication terminal requests each of the other local communication terminals to transmit the data corresponding to the non-held data, and receives the data transmitted from each of the other local communication terminals, which increases traffic of a network.